After a visit with my son and his family, who recently moved to the Brainerd Lakes Area, I headed to the north end of Gull Lake.
My destination was Bar Harbor townhomes, unit 403, where I lived with my parents and two younger sisters during the 1970s.
The townhomes are located along an inlet bay to Gull Lake, directly across from the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Interlachen Road in the community of Lake Shore.
I stood in front of our old family townhome, breathed in the crisp, pine-scented air, and looked out over the glistening waters of the inlet bay where our Lund fishing boat and Kayot pontoon were once tied to the dock.
Just across the road is the Bar Harbor Supper Club, which was formerly known as Little Bar Harbor.
There, people enjoy meals on the patio or from indoor booths with views of the water.
Pine trees line the area, and there is boating access to seven lakes – lakes where, in the 1970s, I often fished using my trusty Lowrance “FISH LO-K-TOR” in the green metal case.
The story of the Bar Harbor Supper Club began in 1937, when Erv Anderson started construction on the club, which was completed in May 1938.
The original structure, called the Bar Harbor Club, featured a dining area partially suspended over the water, a lighthouse to guide visiting boaters, and a spacious interior for guests.
Revenue came mainly from liquor sales and gambling, which was technically illegal but largely unenforced. Gambling operations and slot machines remained in use until they were banned in 1946.
The Bar Harbor Club’s secluded location also reportedly attracted well-known figures tied to organized crime.
When the Bar Harbor Club opened, guests were welcomed by the sounds of slot machines and card games.
In 1963, a smaller building located across the road from the original Bar Harbor Club was remodeled into a cozy supper club intended to serve Gull Lake’s winter residents.
This location became known as “Little Bar Harbor,” and over time, the original structure came to be referred to locally as “Big Bar Harbor” to distinguish it from the other.
I later learned that the Bar Harbor townhome property where I once lived was built on the site of the original Big Bar Harbor.
The first weekend of races for the new Brainerd International Raceway Aug. 8, 1968, thieves broke into Big Bar Harbor after it was closed in search of cash.
Upset that the cash had already been removed, they set Big Bar Harbor on fire, which resulted in most of the structure being burned down.
After the 1968 fire, Little Bar Harbor was expanded to include an indoor charcoal grill, a bandstand, a dance floor, an outdoor patio, and a larger kitchen.
Today, Little Bar Harbor is the Bar Harbor Supper Club, the place where my mom loved spending time with family and friends during the 1970s.
In August 2005, for her 75th birthday, we took her back to the Bar Harbor Supper Club for a family celebration.
During my high school years, I was part of the Brainerd High School newspaper, the “Pow-Wow,” and participated in the audio-visual class.
I was in the first electronics class at Brainerd High School, taught by Mr. Syvertsen, an amateur radio operator with the call sign K0VOO.
He kept his ham radio setup in the corner of the classroom, and one day, we helped him install a high-gain Yagi antenna on the school’s roof.
After attending services at St. Christopher’s Church in Nisswa Sunday, my family often ate breakfast at the Green Mill, the Quarterdeck, or the Bar Harbor Supper Club.
The Nisswa Roller Rink was a popular spot during the 1970s, where I took my younger sisters to skate.
I remember gliding to disco music and doing the “Hokey Pokey” with high school friends.
Today, the skating rink no longer exists.
At the intersection of Sixth and Washington streets stands the Brainerd Water Tower, a landmark symbolizing the city’s history.
Construction began in 1919 on the Brainerd Water Tower. It was the first all-concrete elevated water tank built in the United States.
The Brainerd Dispatch newspaper reported Sept. 30, 1920, that the city’s new 150-foot concrete tower held water for the first time.
The newspaper said engineers spent seven hours pumping 300,000 gallons of water 150 feet to the top, adding more than two million pounds to the structure.
After lights were installed on the tower, on Sept. 27, 1921, the Brainerd Daily Dispatch wrote, “High above the city, atop the water tower, a circlet of light met the sky.”
The tower became known as “Paul Bunyan’s Cup,” and its image appeared on logos, cups, letterhead, and postcards, making it an enduring symbol of Brainerd.
Around 1960, the tower stopped storing and distributing water for the city.
In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Over the past century, the tower has suffered weather damage and concrete cracks.
Its high maintenance costs had the city council considering its demolition, which many residents and visitors objected to, including me.
To help save the structure, community groups raised money, which included selling miniature wooden water tower keychains. The proceeds helped pay for a new tower roof in 2022.
Today, the Brainerd Water Tower is still standing tall.
For me, the Brainerd Lakes Area is more than a place with memories; it is now once again a place with family.
